The C.P.R. was featuring Moose Jaw,
forty miles to the westward, at the expense of the capital, and the members of
the Legislature who hailed from more favored locations made periodic attempts
to move the seat of Government to some more desirable spot. Regina
had a bad name and a curse seemed to rest upon it. It had few friends, and in
the main they were but feeble apologists, and yet there was one young man who
dreamed a .glowing vision of the future of this slough of despond and he had
the faith that goes with works. E. A. McCallum had been studying law in the
office of the late T. C. Johnstone, but a sharp attack of sickness had sent him
for a considerable period to the little frame building that was dignified by
the name bf "Cottage Hospital." When convalescent he found that most
of his sayings had been consumed, and he would have to break his law studies to
seek some more remunerative employment. He accordingly opened a small office in
one of the weather-boarded shacks that then disfigured Scarth
Street, and made shift to do a small brokerage and
insurance business. Clients did not come along very briskly and he had, plenty
of time for contemplation. He had sound judgement and keen intelligence and,
not having been very long in the West, was not handicapped by the muddy rut in
which his neighbours had become mired.

The first rush to the Saskatchewan
valley was on. The lure of cheap and fertile land to be had almost for the
taking was drawing thousands of the best class of agricultural immigrants from
the Middle Western States, Ontario, and the Maritime Provinces. Northern
Europe was sending out whole communities of sturdy peasants. A
great English colony was establishing itself not far from the North
Saskatchewan River and work on the construction of lines of
railways to serve these newcomers was proceeding apace. Great stretches of the
virgin prairie were being brought under cultivation, and the work of
transformation was on. To the eyes of many of the old residents, long dulled by